“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
(John 1:14)
The glory of Christ begins with the excellency of His person. The eternal Word was made flesh and dwelt among men, yet taking on our nature did not diminish the glory belonging to Him as the only begotten of the Father. He is the brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of His person. In Christ, true deity and true humanity meet in One, and the glory of God is revealed in a manner suited to our understanding. The mystery of the incarnation is that He who is infinitely above creation entered into it without ceasing to be what He eternally is.
This glory becomes still more wonderful when Christ is considered in His humiliation. The One who was in the form of God took upon Himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The majesty of His person makes the depth of His humiliation astonishing. The Lord of glory became the man of sorrows. The One through whom all things were made entered suffering, poverty, rejection, and death.[1]
The cross is a wonder of divine righteousness. God did not pass over sin as though it were insignificant. Sin was punished even when its burden was laid upon His own Son. Christ was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and bore the chastisement necessary for our peace. The holy God did not accomplish redemption by relaxing His justice; He displayed justice in the very act by which sinners were saved.
The cross is also a wonder of wisdom. God brought light out of darkness and life out of death. The fall of the Lord became the rising of His people. The poverty of Christ became the riches of those who belong to Him. His humiliation became the way to their exaltation. His emptiness became the means of their fullness. What appeared to the world as defeat became the divine means of victory and salvation.
There is also the wonder of mercy. The Son bore what sinners deserved so that mercy might be extended to the guilty. The cry of sinners is heard because the suffering of Christ was accepted in their place. Mercy is not detached from righteousness; it comes through the sacrifice of the Redeemer. The same cross that reveals the seriousness of sin reveals the abundance of divine compassion.
Above all, the gospel reveals a wonder of love. The Father gave His Son. The Son gave Himself, His blood, His life as a ransom. This love was not directed toward the worthy, but toward rebels, enemies, and those who had gone astray. The greatness of the persons giving, the cost of what was given, and the unworthiness of those receiving together magnify the glory of His redeeming love.
The Word made flesh is full of grace and truth. His person is glorious, His humiliation astonishing, His sufferings righteous, His redemption wise, His mercy abundant, and His love beyond measure. The gospel is indeed a mystery full of wonders because in Christ the highest glory of God shines through the deepest humiliation of the Son.
Contemplations:
- Your Glory Was Not Diminished by Becoming Man. I adore You because the eternal Word truly became man without ceasing to be divine. You entered our nature, dwelt among men, and yet remained the brightness of the Father’s glory. Let the mystery of Your person inform my worship. For You are the eternal Son who took on true humanity in order to accomplish my redemption.
- Your Humiliation Makes Your Glory More Astonishing. You who were in the form of God took the form of a servant. You who possessed all glory embraced poverty, sorrow, rejection, and death. Your infinite glory makes Your humiliation all the more astonishing.
- At the Cross I See Justice and Mercy Together. You did not save by ignoring sin. Righteousness demanded judgment, and that judgment fell upon the appointed Substitute. Yet through that very severity mercy flowed to the guilty. The cross displays such wisdom and holiness and shows me that both sin and grace are infinitely greater than I imagine.
- Your Love Gave Everything. The Father gave the Son, and the Son gave Himself. You gave your life’s blood as the ransom for sinners. I adore a love that did not stop at words or wishes; it acted, suffered, and paid the cost. Let Your love humble me, draw me, and make every lesser love appear small beside it.
Prayer (Adoration):
Lord Jesus, I adore You as the eternal Word made flesh.
You are the brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of His person, yet You stooped to dwell among men. I worship the mystery of Your person, true God and true man, full of grace and truth.
I adore the depth of Your humiliation. You took the form of a servant, entered the likeness of men, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Let the glory of who You are make the greatness of what You endured more wonderful to me.
I worship the righteousness revealed in Your sufferings. Sin was not overlooked or treated lightly. You were wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Your justice held firm even while Your mercy opened wide.
I praise the wisdom by which God brought light out of darkness and life out of death. Your humiliation became the means of exaltation for Your people. Your poverty became their riches, Your suffering their peace, and Your death their life.
Keep the gospel from becoming ordinary in my thoughts. Let the truths of Your incarnation, the cross, Your grace, truth, righteousness, wisdom, mercy, and love continually fill me with wonder.
Make me behold Your glory with deeper reverence and worship You with greater affection.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Heb. 2:14; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 John 1:1; Gal. 4:4
[1] Richard Alleine, Vindiciæ Pietatis: Or, a Vindication of Godliness, (London: s.n, 1665), 247-248.
